Interestingly, this is now my least favorite of the series. It's not that I don't like it, but I like the others better. Perhaps I like it least becauInterestingly, this is now my least favorite of the series. It's not that I don't like it, but I like the others better. Perhaps I like it least because it's last, and that means the series is over. I know a large part of what I don't like is that it starts with Shift the ape. I don't like him AT ALL. And I was always very disappointed in the dwarfs in this one.

I do like Esmeth the Calormene, though. And I love reunions. I also love that Jill is a good archer. I hope there's a movie of this one ......more

I'm sure I read this as a child, and I know I read it in 2014, as that's the shelf I had it on here, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember muchI'm sure I read this as a child, and I know I read it in 2014, as that's the shelf I had it on here, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember much of it. With the movie's release imminent, I really wanted to read it again, and I'm so glad I did!

In the front of my copy is not a Forward, but "An Appreciation" by Anna Quindlen. It's a wonderful tribute and a great review, so really I need not write much. Instead I'll just highlight a couple of things.

I'm a Margaret who wanted more than anything to be called Meg after reading Little Women, but alas attended the same school I'd attended in third grade, and fourth grade Margaret was still Margaret. But this Meg just speaks to me. Early on, we know that Meg can't hide her feelings, and this just makes perfect sense to me: Why can't I hide it, too? Meg thought. Why I always have to show everything?

Her poor mother handled it better than mine but must have felt some of the same: "You don't know the meaning of moderation, do you, my darling? Mrs. Murry asked. "A happy medium is something i wonder if you'll ever learn."

And then clearer than any other description of how I feel sometimes: "... It's just been an awful week. And I'm full of bad feeling."

But also something that I just posted in my family's WhatsApp chat because I feel it could be our family motto: You don't know how lucky you are to be loved. <3

Last, another Meg-ism I love that also resonates with me: "... and when I'm mad I don't have room to be scared."

Such a good book! I'm looking forward to the movie. And I think I'm going to add this to the short list of books I re-read regularly (Little House series, Chronicles of Narnia, and a couple others)....more

I really need to write journal entries on these books when I read them! To put in perspective how far behind I am onMy lame review from BookCrossing:

I really need to write journal entries on these books when I read them! To put in perspective how far behind I am on journal writing, this book was #58 for me for the year. I'm currently on #85! oh dear ....

And now for the ironic part: one of the reasons I re-read this this year was so that I could actually write a real journal entry. Sadly, I didn't mark anything specific and have nothing brilliant to say! I do, however, know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I love this book, and I love James McBride and his mother. It's the kind of book you could read once a year and get something new out of each time.

Mr. McBride's mother was a general with a small army, and her refusal to see color in a colored world is a lesson for us all. I love her answers when the children ask where they're from or what color she is. She knows and teaches them as best she can that these things aren't what matter. And that the way they turn out as people is. It's probably a good book for any mother to read.

I used to re-read the entire Chronicles of Narnia once a year. That was before I joined BookCrossing, and I never ever wrote a book review on them. II used to re-read the entire Chronicles of Narnia once a year. That was before I joined BookCrossing, and I never ever wrote a book review on them. I love them, though....more

So I was going to write this fabulous book review for this book, quoting some of the hilarious lines and adventures Marley got into, but two things arSo I was going to write this fabulous book review for this book, quoting some of the hilarious lines and adventures Marley got into, but two things are stopping me:1. I gave myself permission to not write book reviews this summer2. I want to send this in the mail to someone who makes me smile, and if I wait until I write the journal entry, it may never get out the door!

That said, there were a LOT of really entertaining parts to this book. I love the style of this author, and think his news work really made him good at his craft. This book had all the Important Components: I laughed, I cried, I wanted a dog, I didn't want a dog ...

The business about Jenny's not having a green thumb -- "(she killed) my gift to her with an assassin's coldhearted efficiency" cracked me up! Partly because I'm the same way, I think!

This is priceless, and must be recorded for posterity: As we fought, Jenny absently walked to the stereo and pushed the play button on the tape deck. It was one of her marital combat strategies. When in doubt, drown out your opponent.

And there's this: Marley was young and wired, with the attention span of algae and the volatility of nitroglycerine.

The "pencils in Pennsylvania" part will make even the hardest heart soften a bit. Seriously, for a non-animal lover like I am to love this book, the author should be receiving awards. Or maybe Marley should ......more

Twice I've written a brilliant journal entry, and twice I've erased it. So I'm going to write a little bit, and hitCopied from my BookCrossing entry:

Twice I've written a brilliant journal entry, and twice I've erased it. So I'm going to write a little bit, and hit save. And then write a bit more and hit save again.

What a great book! I read it yesterday on my flights home from the convention -- Charleston to Chicago, and Chicago - home. Twice while I was reading it, I thought of people I'd like to share it with, but can't remember now who they were. hmmmm ... I'm blaming it on sleep deprivation!

Anyway, this is a truly charming book. Every good thing you've read about it is true. Although it takes place in "the good old days" in middle America, it's not all soppy and smarmy. It's entertaining, a bit sarcastic, pokes fun at itself, and is all around fun to read. One of the critics said it reads like fiction, and that's totally accurate!

I'm going to quote one of the blurbs inside the cover here, mainly because I'm a mark-the-interesting-passages person too:

While reading A Girl Named Zippy, I started to dog-ear each page that contained a charming anecdote, a garden-fresh metaphor, a characterization shrewd as those from Spoon River, or a madeleine substitute worthy of Proust. My copy soon came to resemble a cone. A Girl Named Zippy seems to be just about the cleverest little memoir ever. I’ve told every friend I own to get a copy, and I find myself suddenly frantic to make new friends.-New York Newsday

It was good that I read that before jumping into the book, because I didn’t waste my time trying to rip up my boarding pass into a million little tiny bookmarks. That said, I do have a couple parts to quote here.

I'm going to re-type pretty much all of page 174 here. I just LOVE the way this is written:

Christmas was my favorite time of the year, in part because of the excellent speech, "Fear not: I bring you good tidings of great joy ..." and because of the song "The Little Drummer boy." Anything that involved such persistent percussion was undoubtedly oth religious and true.

... In the painting, which glowed from a fluorescent light bulb hung beneath it, the Big Jesus looks pensive and honey-eyed. His shoulder-length, light-brown hair is as clean and shiny as corn silk, and he has a beautiful tan. He is not scorched like a farmer, but bronzed, like a lifeguard. He is way better looking than either Glen Campbell or Engelbert Humperdinck.

...it appeared that everyone around me was flat-out in love with him, and who wouldn't be? He was good with animals, he loved his mother, and he wasn't afraid of blind people.

I didn't buy the bit about his terrible death and resurrection for a minute. I knew, beyond any room for doubt, that nothing in this world is both alive and dead. And this was the thing I most wanted to say in church: if you want him to be alive, you've got to stop hanging him on that cross.

And then there's a childhood experience I share with the author:

In addition to all the humiliations I was heir to, when Mom made me a dress that I would have rather eaten hominy than wear, I was forced to try it on while it still had pins in it. Whoever thought of such a thing? In a normal world, if I had said to my mom that I was just going to slip on these jeans and this T-shirt, which p.s. were full of straight pins, she would have felt my head for a fever.

I liked this one -- great for travel, but I thought it a bit predictable. I think this is the book that prompted me to ask if shoplifting was as commoI liked this one -- great for travel, but I thought it a bit predictable. I think this is the book that prompted me to ask if shoplifting was as common (and acceptable) in the UK as it seemed in the book. This one was a great plane book :)...more

This is the perfect book for sitting on the back deck in the sun! I read it on Monday(6/5/06), and loved it. Of course, now I want to read The GivenchThis is the perfect book for sitting on the back deck in the sun! I read it on Monday(6/5/06), and loved it. Of course, now I want to read The Givenchy Code, but I'm pleased to report it is totally not necessary to the enjoyment of this one :)

Here's the email I fired off to a friend just minutes before finishing this:

subject: Any interest. . .. . . in a slightly trashy piece of chick lit mystery that takes place in NY and has loads of Broadway references?

I think she'd like it, but perhaps my note didn't sell it very well? *scratches head*

Oh well, it was fun and lite and had a few typos that surprised me (no I didn't keep track -- I was sunbathing!) and helped pass the time enjoyably....more

I’m very conflicted as I write my review for this book. Dan Savage is an amazing writer, he makes sense, he’s entertaining, he backs up his informatioI’m very conflicted as I write my review for this book. Dan Savage is an amazing writer, he makes sense, he’s entertaining, he backs up his information with stats and quotes, and I disagree with him on almost every point he makes!

This book really is a light-hearted look at Savage’s experiences as he makes a concentrated effort to “sin” each of the traditional 7 deadly sins. However, it’s also filled with comments and arguments (well-written ones) promoting his own personal agenda. I found this particular point fascinating: “. . .the virtuous in America aren’t satisfied with merely lecturing us. They want to give us orders, and to that end they’ve banded together in what appears to be a never-ending effort to shove their own virtues down all of our throats. They’ve convinced themselves that the pursuit of happiness by less virtuous Americans is both a personal and a political attack. Not content to persuade their fellow Americans to be virtuous – which, again, is their right – they want to amend constitutions and pass laws.” Hard to argue with that logic. As I said, much of what he writes is compelling.

A point I can’t agree with is his argument that “. . . much of the harm done by drugs, prostitution, and adultery should be laid at the feet of the virtuous. It’s their meddling that often creates the harm, not the sins in and of themselves. There would be no money, and therefore no gangs or violence, in the drug trade if drugs were legalized and their sale taxed and regulated. When was the last time beer distributors killed each other? Oh, yeah: prohibition. If prostitution were legalized, an American prostitute with a violent client or abusive pimp could turn to the police for protection, just as prostitutes do in the Netherlands. If every couple were encouraged to have a realistic, rational conversation about the near-inevitability of infidelity in long-term relationships, fewer homes would be destroyed by adultery.” OY! I totally disagree on those points. From my own personal experience (married almost 13 years), his point on divorce just makes me sad. The fact that people think that divorce or adultery is inevitable is what makes it happen; not the fact that a marriage or relationship can’t make it without those things happening. See this thread on best advice you’ve ever been given for my very short thought on this.

In the chapter on Lust, he carries the adultery message even further, this time without backup data: “Adultery ‘touches’ 80 percent of all marriages; married people lust after people who aren’t their spouses because that’s how our creator made us. We’re wired to cheat, we’re tempted by thoughts of cheating when we’re awake, and we dream about cheating when we’re asleep.” I don’t know where he gets this information, and I am almost offended by the fact that he thinks God made us that way on purpose. An interesting point comes up in this chapter, though. His exposure to adultery and conservatives is “. . .if either slips up – just once – we tell both that the marriage is over.” Although I acknowledge it would be very hard to forgive something like this, this is not my (conservative) philosophy, nor the way I was raised. I’m sad that Savage thinks this is the only solution. I know multiple couples who have survived an affair, and have come out on the other side with an even stronger marriage.

One section I really enjoyed (and totally agreed with) was the chapter on Anger. For this chapter, Savage went to Plano, Texas to learn to shoot a gun. He makes some very interesting points about gun owners talking a lot about personal freedoms, but only really fighting for the one personal freedom of owning a gun. HA! He’s right. “So while gun owners are always saying that owning guns is about defending freedom, the only freedom gun owners seem interested in defending with their guns is the freedom to defend their freedom to own guns. For a freedom fan such as myself, this seems a little limited. All that firepower – 200 million guns – dedicated to defending just one freedom?”

The chapter on Envy had me laughing out loud – literally – you have to read it for yourself! Savage’s comments in the Pride chapter on Gay Pride parades had me sad for “the youth”. I did enjoy his history lesson on how these parades came into being, though. Imagine how disturbing it was for me to be eating a bowlful of Doritos during the chapter on Gluttony . . .

Last, here is the reason I would like meet Mr. Savage, besides the fact that I think he is very smart and funny (two qualities I most admire in people): here are his comments on the September 11, 2001 attacks, after being encouraged by everyone from Senator Schumer to the President of the United States to get back to normal: “I have nothing snide to say about any of this. I’m a patriot. On September 11, I didn’t blame America; I blamed bin Laden. And while I may love this country for different reasons from the scolds and virtuecrats, I do love this country. I love the separation of church and state, for starters; I love the First Amendment; I love that ‘pursuit of happiness’ stuff in the Declaration of Independence – and I’ve always loved New York City....more

I'm on a short business trip (leaving this afternoon), and finished this one last night in my hotel room (it was this or the revamped "American GladiaI'm on a short business trip (leaving this afternoon), and finished this one last night in my hotel room (it was this or the revamped "American Gladiator". Please). It's my third book of the year and frankly would have been the first, but I didn't finish Breakfast at Tiffany's last year and frankly didn't think I had the nerve to have the first book on my list have this title :) That said, I loved it!

As I was reading (also in my hotel room) it on Monday night, I got to the part where she's at the doctor's office and they give her a paper gown. By the time I hit this phrase I begin to get very angry at the exploding clothing. Exactly when did I turn into the Jen-credible Hulk?, I am laughing so hard I 1. am crying, 2. can hardly breathe, and 3. am dialing my sister to read this section to her.

Aside from her love of the "f" word (which really, who can blame her), I think Jen Lancaster is my kindred spirit. She's mouthy AND conservative. She's modest and so not into The Naked. She's bigger than she should be and although she cares about it, it doesn't run her. She has a funny husband who often thinks she's nuts and ... seriously, she might be me (she even points out to the Target person that they didn't greet her! This is so me-embarrassing-my-husband). I mean, I even lived in Chicago for 12 years. What are the chances? Really, we are basically the same person, which is just one of the reasons I'd put this one head and shoulders over any Shopaholic book any day of the week. I had to look it up but I was pretty sure I actually said (and I did!) that Becky Blomberg and her lying actually gave me a stomach ache in Confessions of a Shopaholic. (major side note to SKing and anyone else reading this and forming opinions: if you get a chance to read Can You Keep a Secret?, do. It's seriously one of the funniest books I've ever read and will also make you laugh out loud)

All that said, this is one of those books where I folded down too many corners and now don't know which ones to quote here. Frankly, I could re-type the entire book here because it's just that funny, but I'm also at work at the end of a business trip and need to finish this book review so I can hand the book to a friend before I get on the plane :)

I'll just add some random, short, funny things:Talking about IKEA (of course I've been in the one she shops in -- it's near my old house) ...they carry every single thing you could possibly ever need ... at low, low prices, but in obscure Swedish sizes so those items won't coordinate with anything else you own, like, say, if you want to put a regular Target lamp shade on your IKEA lamp. Fletch thinks it's Sweden's master plan to make Americans so busy trying to construct furniture with Allen wrenches that we don't notice they've invaded us. (Personally, I think it's payback; the Swedes are pissed that we aren't buying ABBA albums anymore). (another side note: what is it with 4-letter Swedish words in all caps?)

About cultural diversity in an urban Target Plus, I've heard their cashiers speaking ten different languages, so I, Miss Whitey McXenophobe, should perhaps cut them some terry-cloth-covered, stool-seated slack.

OK -- no time for anything more except to say THANKS! to SKing for sharing this one with me (because of course now I have to go buy Bitter) and I'm passing it on to another BookCrosser who usually forgets to "catch" books I give her so we may never get another journal entry out of it, but I know she will laugh at it....more

I seriously love this author. She cracks me up, she tells the truth, and if I could, I'd be her new best friend. Heck, I'm even blogstalking her blog.I seriously love this author. She cracks me up, she tells the truth, and if I could, I'd be her new best friend. Heck, I'm even blogstalking her blog.

The one caveat I'll make about this book in not recommending it unconditionally is that I think I liked it better because I read the second book first. That is, in this first one, she's just that much more self-centered, and not quite as loveable. By the second book she's learned a bit more about herself, the world, and life. It's "book 2 Jen" I want to be friends with -- "book 1 Jen" needed to be metaphorically smacked upside the head a bit first :)

I finally found my notes in my moleskin:I think I probably read this book differently than I might have if I hadn't read Bright Lights first. That is, I think I might not have liked Jen quite as much if I'd read this first. She's more of a kindred spirit in the 2nd book, and honestly, I think I had more sympathy for her in this one, having read the other one first.

This was really interesting to me, as I at first found myself reading and not liking her much. She really does sound pretty spoiled in the first one. But then as I read, I realized what people mean about book/movie characters and growth. She really did grow in this book. The kinder, gentler Jen at the end -- with special sauce, of course -- is the girl I want to be friends with. I love the way she takes care of Fletch and her dogs, and the part where she goes to see her mom is awesome. That girl actually cares.

The comment "Maybe if you ate some meat you'd last longer!" is just one of many times I was shaking with laughter while reading this....more

Really? Seriously? Is it possible that this book is the author's own Cagliostro? Is it possible that all the lovers of this book (it won the Stephen Crane First Fiction Award, it's "notable" to the New York Times and the American Library Association, it's one of Entertainment Weekly's Best Books of the Year) are doing exactly what Vladimir describes the "in-crowd" doing when "the next best thing" comes along? All the book reviewers decided this is the next best thing, so they all gave rave reviews, and now *all* of the literary world believes it is. So it must be. Except . . . I didn't really much like it. Does that make me an idiot? Or one of those people like Morgan, who doesn't know how to be cool? hmmm . . .

There were certainly parts of this book that I enjoyed and/or found fascinating. A linguist at heart, I love books loaded with non-English words, phrases, locations and names. With an immigrant father (from Holland), a Polish sister-in-law, parents who lived in Ukraine for 2 years, Jewish great-grandparents, a much-loved trip to Prague and Poland two springs ago, and living in the Midwest for the last 12 years, I'm the perfect audience for this book. And yet, I still didn't really "get" it.

Some of the flashes of brilliance included the social ladder and how immigrants from different countries view each other and their fellow Americans: Roberta to Baobab, "Peasant!" she shouted back, slamming a bathroom door behind her. "Sicilian peasant!" "What? Come again?" Baobab turned in the direction of the kitchen and the breakables. "My grandfather was a parliamentarian before Mussolini! You Staten Island whore!"

And then Baobab describes Laszlo, who is stealing his girlfriend: "No, I assure you, this Laszlo's quite the barbarian. He has that international odor. And his personal pronouns are a mess. . ."

Later, alpha and beta immigrants are explained, which is actually fascinating. But it's not enough to carry this book.

A particularly entertaining phrase recurred again and again throughout the book. I smirked every time. Every time the city of Prava comes up, it's thusly: "Prava, the Paris of the 90s". This tickled me. It is these humorous things that kept me reading. The biznesmenski lunch was another.

By the author's descriptions, we know that he knows "of whom he speaks" (or writes, in this case). Another account I couldn't pass up: "The Groundhog kissed Vladimir on both cheeks and then presented his own pock-marked ones. Vladimir closed his eyes and uttered a ridiculous "Mwa!" with each kiss. With the male Eastern European love overture complete, Vladimir was allowed to take his seat. . ."

Some of the reviewer's comments in the front of the book talk of Vladimir, the hero, but I didn't get that from him. I felt sorry for him the entire book. I also wanted to punch him a few times, but that was taken care of for me. Perhaps it boils down to his mother's "favorite bilingual nickname for him: Failurchka. Little Failure." Again, a clever turn of a phrase, but basically, this described him to a T, and made him unloveable as the main character. I had this overarching feeling that if this guy would just put as much effort into *actual* work as he did into dishonest work, he could actually do something.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't really like it either. And I kept wishing I was done with it.

It's a cheap paperback written like a master. In fact, it's amazingly well-written, and one of the reviewers (inside the cover, I think) even makes a comment about this author's love for and command of the language. Which makes it all the more disappointing, unfortunately.

It gave me some insight into my dad's life (as an immigrant to America at age 21), and there were parts that made me laugh....more

So .. . . this book wasn't exactly what I expected. Actually, it wasn't anything like I expected! For some reason, in my head I was expecting some CamSo .. . . this book wasn't exactly what I expected. Actually, it wasn't anything like I expected! For some reason, in my head I was expecting some Camus, I think. Perhaps Dostoevsky. Now I'm not sure :)

But the majority of it was nothing like the depress-fests I've read by those two! Anyway, here are my thoughts on this book, in no particular order. . .

Do you think Turgenev knew what a romance novelist he was? I *loved* this description: "Sanin returned to his room, threw himself on the divan without lighting the candles, put his arms above his head, and abandoned himself to those sensations of newly apprehended love which it is pointless to describe. He who has experienced them knows their languor and sweetness; there is no way of explaining them to one who has not." What a perfectly apt way to write that!

There were so many passages like this that had such a lovely "turn of the phrase", that I thought long and hard about the way the author wrote and/or the way the translator translated. I finally decided it was a combination of both that made it so enjoyable to read :)

Sometimes when I read books set in a different time and place, I wonder what they're trying to say without saying it (or without saying it in my language). At the risk of sounding plebian (appropriate, given the number of times it used in this book!), I have to wonder if Polozov was supposed to be gay. Several things seemed to allude to it (at least in my 21st century mind) -- his enjoying and being gifted at picking out clothing for his wife, dressing her hair (!), and the question she asks Sanin, "'Tell me, are you a great friend of my husband?' 'We went to the same boarding school.' 'Was he already like that -- in those days?' 'How do you mean, 'Like that'?' Madame Polozov suddenly burst out laughing, and laughed until her whole face was scarlet." Is she laughing at his naivete? Laughing at the fact that he doesn't know about her husband? Who knows? That was the only explanation that made sense to me. For a beautiful, rich woman, marrying a gay man might be the best way to avoid fortune-seekers, and an easy way to have any sort of affairs she likes. Who knows? Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it's really obvious to everyone else, and they're wondering why I'm not certain :)

My two favorite things were the duel fought in Gemma's honor, and Sanin working in the patisserie -- giving away two pounds of goodies for half the price....more

I should let several months pass between Scottolines. I like her just fine, but they're pretty much all the same book, so reading one or more in a rowI should let several months pass between Scottolines. I like her just fine, but they're pretty much all the same book, so reading one or more in a row makes them seem less impressive.

This one had significantly coarser language than some of her others, so it was less appealing in general, and honestly, there was nothing about Alice that was in the least bit sympathetic, so I really didn't prefer this one.

And now that I think about it, I don't really much like Bennie either, so there's that. Judy and Mary and Lou are the characters I prefer in these books, I guess.

In the summer, I like to sit on the deck in the sun and read "lite" books, as discussed in this BookCrossing forum thread.

Anyway, this was one of theIn the summer, I like to sit on the deck in the sun and read "lite" books, as discussed in this BookCrossing forum thread.

Anyway, this was one of the original chick lit books I ever read, along with Good in Bed, and they were both so good, I became an instant fan of the genre. I have since realized they are not all created equal, but these two books do still hold a soft spot in my heart.

So it was interesting to re-read this one, as a lot of time has passed since my first reading. I have to admit, I wasn't quite as captivated by it the second time around. I still really like it, but some of the wild things that were just shocking the first time became truly unbelievable this time. The Boss is more of a charicature than I thought, etc., etc.

I'm a fan of this book, though, and recommend it to anyone who has ever worked for a big corporation, a Boss Who Assumes Too Much, an ultra-type A personality boss, etc., etc. The only people I know who didn't "get it" were those people who'd never really worked in the business world.

Here's the link to the movie version. It's good, but tries to make the Anna Wintour character likable, which the book is wise enough not to attempt at all....more

I remember reading an excerpt from this years ago -- in Reader's Digest, or some other magazine, maybe? Or maybe even the newspaper article she talksI remember reading an excerpt from this years ago -- in Reader's Digest, or some other magazine, maybe? Or maybe even the newspaper article she talks about in the beginning, I don't know.

Anyway, it's beautifully written, and an interesting choice of style, to alternate chapters with one in the present and one from childhood. I mostly liked it, but it was a little bit distracting as I was getting into the story.

There were many parts I liked and wanted to remember, so I marked them. Let's see if I can remember what I thought when I read them -- it was a while ago!

There were some people in this book I just loved. Jacob, for example, just loves Beth throughout the whole book. Better than that, he's figured out the real meaning of "WWJD", which has become kind of a joke to most people.

'She asks what I think, and I tell her. Of course, then she tells me back. Some drivers get impatient, especially if it looks like her mind's made up, which it probably is' - he laughs - 'but I don't get bothered. It's good for me that she tests my patience. If I see myself growing irritated by Beth, I know I have a problem. I know Jesus wouldn't act like that. It's how unselfish can I be, because when I'm not, that's my problem.'

And then there's Rachel's turning point as her sister approaches a homeless man:

I avert my eyes, figuring, as always, that it's better to ignore homeless people than to get a request for a handout. ... After a few more blocks, I realize that she knows all the misfits. Every time I notice one - the mustached guy with the loping belly and duffel bag, the frog-faced woman whose scarlet shoes match her hair, anyone who seems homeess or "different" -- I, preset to tune them out, turn away. Immediately, as if reading my dismissiveness in the swing of my head, Beth will say, "He lives in a shelter. He uses Tide in the Laundromat." Or "She works at the drugstore. We talk about Whitney Houston." I walk on, my footing less sure than only minutes earlier.

This is the kind of thing I often think when I hear non-PC remarks (and I don't mean "PC" as smarmy politicians with an agenda do; I mean stuff that's downright inappropriate and small-minded):

"People should stick with their own kind."

I tell my friends I want to know what "their own kind" means. People with visual impairments? People who favor nomadic existences? People who other people would like to label by their "mental age"? Okay, so she's a tiny sassy, roly-poly, Crayola-bright, nonpracticing Jewish chatterbox ...

Anyway, I liked this. I've seen some reviewers thought it was pithy and too cheesy, and making a movie out of it with Rosie O'Donnell sent it over the edge, but I liked it. It made me uncomfortable, and it made me feel good. Not a bad book....more

It's kind of a silly one for Nora -- it's two time-travel stories in one book (no, I'm not kidding). First one pilot crashes his "spaceship" into currIt's kind of a silly one for Nora -- it's two time-travel stories in one book (no, I'm not kidding). First one pilot crashes his "spaceship" into current Oregon (or maybe Washington state, I can't remember), and then his brother comes looking for him. It's totally unbelievable and far-fetched, but entertaining as well. The hippie-granola parents and their current day inventions that have become hugely popular and wildly successful in the future are another amusing aspect of these stories. ...more

These books where the author manages to make the kids sound real are so entertaining! I can actually hear my nieces and nephews saying/thinking the thThese books where the author manages to make the kids sound real are so entertaining! I can actually hear my nieces and nephews saying/thinking the things Jerry and Rachel say and do. This was charming, even though I was disappointed that this was going to be a dog book when I found out.

Loved it and am surprised I'd never read it, given how much of Eleanor Estes' titles I read as a child.

I just remembered that I liked this sentence and Jen said I had to include it in my review: "... Wally Bullwinkle ... was studying Ginger with a sly and furtive mien."...more

I continue to be confused by what the Newbery committee is/was thinking and what they consider a level of appropriateness for children. I'm also surprI continue to be confused by what the Newbery committee is/was thinking and what they consider a level of appropriateness for children. I'm also surprised at what this author thought appropriate for children. I'm really of two minds on this, after reading about the author and this series. On the one hand, I love the idea of writing stories about different parts of the country so children could learn about them. On the other hand, there's all kinds of DRUNK in this book, and I'm just picturing a 3rd grade me reading it. I'll be honest; I wouldn't have understood it at all.

Which brings me to: I need to stop this review and look up the criteria for the Newbery Award, and also the intended age group.Love this:

In Melcher's formal agreement with the board, the purpose of the Newbery Medal was stated as follows: "To encourage original creative work in the field of books for children. To emphasize to the public that contributions to the literature for children deserve similar recognition to poetry, plays, or novels. To give those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children's reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in this field."

And in the "Terms & Conditions", I find that the book must be written by an American (resident or citizen) author and published by an American publisher. And that "literature for children" is defined as "...a book for which children are an intended potential audience. The book displays respect for children's understandings, abilities, and appreciations." And a "child" to the Newbery committee is "persons of ages up to and including fourteen" and "books for this entire age range are to be considered."

So that's that. What's interesting to me is that I read a lot of books ahead of my age group as a kid. But this cover, looks like ... smack in the middle of 2nd-4th grade to me. I can't imagine a 14-y.o. (even a nerdy one) picking this book up, solely based on the cover. And yet the themes in this book seem more appropriate to a 14-year-old. hmmmm ... maybe I shouldn't play children's librarian and should just give my thoughts on the book. Except that the entire time my 44-year-old brain was taking it in, I was thinking, "I wouldn't have a kid read this". I don't think.

Anyway, I found the language in this fascinating. It seemed Lenski hit the mark with writing colloquially in this one, as opposed to Smoky the Cow Horse (the 1927 winner) where my major concern was that the grammar/spelling in the book would actually "rub off" on the children reading it! The other thing about the language in this is it reminds me a lot of the script for "Oklahoma!" I remember the first time I picked up my lines for the community theatre musical and saw I had to say "no sich of a thing" (something said multiple times in this book) -- I wondered if I could really do any sort of appropriate accent at all in that. (turns out our director didn't really care about our accents)

From the Foreword: In this series of regional books for American children, I am trying to present vivid, sympathetic pictures of the real life of different kinds of Americans, against authentic backgrounds of diverse localities. ...so that we can say: "This then is the way these people lived. Because I understand it, I admire and love them." Is not this a rich heritage for American children?

I found that fascinating. In fact, she did present vivid, sympathetic pictures to me. But I'm 44, and I'm not sure a child in 1946 ... well, I just don't know. I'm also not sure "I admire and love them", although this book really did make me want to grow stuff. Actually, I did admire Mr. & Mrs. Boyer. I didn't love them.

What did I love? Mrs. Boyer and Mrs. Slater and the evolution of their relationship. There was also "classic" stuff in here like how to make wax roses - I loved that that kind of stuff was in there, and as a child would have found it wholly intriguing, like pouring maple syrup on fresh snow in the Little House books.

Overall, I did like this, but it felt all slammed together at the end. No spoilers, but the end seemed rather abrupt ... or maybe convenient. Or perhaps the author was told to do something about Mr. Slater, kind of like when a movie studio makes a director change an ending....more

**spoiler alert** I really liked this book ... until I got to the end. I don't mean I disliked it, but I realized that as I was reading it, I was real**spoiler alert** I really liked this book ... until I got to the end. I don't mean I disliked it, but I realized that as I was reading it, I was really enjoying it, but that was sort of anticipatory of what I thought might happen near the end. Perhaps it was the misleading back cover (which I hardly ever even read!), or perhaps it was just my naive desire for a happy ending, but I really thought it would end differently.

It was fascinating, and really well written. I'm always surprised when a woman writes from a man's point of view, or a man writes from a woman's point of view, and it's believable. But it was, and was very well done. It was also interesting to read Samson's perceptions and observations about Anna, as she grieved for her husband and their relationship.

Sometimes when you're watching a movie, you notice something that is missing, rather than something that happens. It's when I assume that the scene that would have explained what I'm confused about must be "on the cutting room floor". The same thing happened at one point in the book. Samson is having a conversation with Lana over lunch, and he says, "I'd follow you in a paddle boat and shout encouragement." Her response: "Thanks. And if you ever decide to walk across the country again, I'll follow you in a car." This never comes up again, but I felt like it told us how he ended up where we first met him. Why isn't this discussed? Why doesn't the author follow up on this? Why doesn't Samson ask Lana more about this? Or tell Anna about it? I think the answers must have been edited out. This is the kind of thing I would ask the author about if I were a reporter.

There was also a use of "disorientated" that I thought should have been "disoriented": Soon the long corridor gave way to other long, equally sterile stretches of corridor and Samson became disorientated. The sour chemical smell in the air, so archly inhuman, and the vile light that cast everything in a flat and sickly hue were enough to lend the place a tense, unnerving quality... Maybe it's small of me to pick at that one word when the rest of the writing is so good (as illustrated by the words around it), but that bothered me!

I did like this -- don't get me wrong. But I wanted more hope at the end than I got. It won't usurp History of Love as my favorite of her books, but I'm glad I've read her first novel....more

I loved this book! However, I made the mistake of not writing a review of it right after I read it, and I didn't mark pages I wanted to comment on, soI loved this book! However, I made the mistake of not writing a review of it right after I read it, and I didn't mark pages I wanted to comment on, so I don't have a lot to say about it. I remember laughing at and tearing up at some of the stories of her dad. The charm of this book isn't limited to Iranians or even immigrants. It's just a great book, and I highly recommend it....more

As I told my friend Rebekkila in the comments to her review of this book, I actually saw a movie made from this several years ago. I'm embarrassed toAs I told my friend Rebekkila in the comments to her review of this book, I actually saw a movie made from this several years ago. I'm embarrassed to admit it was on Lifetime :) What's funny is I really don't watch Lifetime much, if ever, but I distinctly remember this being on late one night while I worked on expense reports in my office. I'm thinking my husband might have been out of town, too (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). I didn't even see the whole thing, which makes me even more annoyed that it's a Lifetime movie, because so far it appears "unreleased" as a movie that can be rented, checked out, or watched On Demand. I kind of want to see it again! Anyway, I remember at the time really liking it, and the women in it. I was also impressed when I read that they all actually gained/lost weight for the movie.

Anyway, it's charming chick lit with a bit of depth. If you've read The Little Lady Agency, it will seem familiar, but not in a bad way. It was fun to read it since I'd seen the movie, and although the movie was fairly true to the story, as expected, there were several things left out that I was glad to come across in the book.

The Nigel storyline left me a bit confused, and the Chester storyline (and perceived fat discrimination which led to the Cinderella pact) was entertaining. There's a bit of Lucy and Ethel or Three's Company in this in terms of wacky things that would never really happen in real life, but it's still fun and charming to read. And also pretty clean, which was nice for chick lit. I'd keep it to read it again but want to send it to a friend I know will love it....more